Alcoholism Support Group
Alcoholism is the continued consumption of alcoholic beverages, even when it is negatively affecting your health, work, relationships and life. If you think alcohol is causing you to lose control, it's time to seek help. Our group is a safe place to vent, check in, get back up if you fall, and reach sobriety.
I am definitely NOT trying to offend anyone but I just don't see any of what goes on here as that bad. Is it me? Perhaps due to some of the other boards I hang out at ( political) my tolerance for "offensive" is too high.
If we're comfortable in our opinion, our current concept of what sobriety means to us and how we achieve it why are these differences of opinion offending people?
It's important because just because I find the conflict here mild doesn't mean others do. I guess I''m trying to say "Hey the conflict here ain't that bad" I've said several times that sobrieties has been good for my skin. It thickened it!
On the other hand I'm not the only peeble on this beach and I'm trying to understand what it is that's bothering people.
If we're comfortable in our opinion, our current concept of what sobriety means to us and how we achieve it why are these differences of opinion offending people?
It's important because just because I find the conflict here mild doesn't mean others do. I guess I''m trying to say "Hey the conflict here ain't that bad" I've said several times that sobrieties has been good for my skin. It thickened it!
On the other hand I'm not the only peeble on this beach and I'm trying to understand what it is that's bothering people.
lets just drop it ok
By the time I was a few months sober, my sponsor had already sat patiently through enough of my whining and mood swings that he was able to play them back, gently but firmly mocking me with some rather humiliating but very convincing acting-out of my scatterbrained ups & downs.
Finally he was able to persuade me that 24 years of hard drinking had turned my brain to mush, that I couldn't stay focused, and that my undisciplined thoughts controlled me instead of me being in control of my thoughts. This was a very dangerous situation, he went on, because how could I possibly overcome such sloppy thinking when the day came when I was alone and picking up another drink seemed like a good idea?
His suggested solution was that I get whatever book it was that was so hard to understand when I was in school that I never finished it, and read that book again. He also recommended that I keep a dictionary at my elbow, and every time I found a word I didn't understand, to look it up. He said it didn't matter what the book was about, because this wasn't about getting information or inspiration, but about having the mental equipment to sort out the information I was already getting. The brain, he said, is like a muscle, and mine was flabby and almost paralyzed from lack of exercise and self-discipline.
"Use it or lose it," he said.
I got the book. The funny thing is that I had no trouble remembering which one it was. I read it twice and I still have a copy of it. What my sponsor was suggesting wasn't that I read something entertaining, inspiring or even instructive on the subject of alcoholism and recovery. What he specifically recommended was to get whatever book it was that was so hard to understand that it overwhelmed me and so I never finished it. The goal was to get me out of my sloppy way of connecting the dots by concentrating (key word) on somebody else's train of thought to get me to a point where I could step back from my own thinking patterns and critique them.
Otherwise, he explained, trying to fill my head with a lot of information and advice would be like pouring water into a sieve.
The fact of the matter is that there are many ways to get and remain sober or dry or how ever else you want to put it. Just keeping the shit outta' your body is a good start.
Another truth is that democracy is built on the premise of debate. Debate is nothing more than respectful argument. However, this is a topic that really requires no debate. Addiction recovery is an individual choice. It does not matter one whit if everyone else in the world disagees with your method of staying sober. The key is this.
Are you keeping the shit otta' your body? Are you respectful and loving of your fellow humans? That's it.
There are many models of recovery that one can draw upon for inspiration. This developement in addiction recovery philosophy has only come about by intense debate. BUT, none of it works if you do nothing but sit around and argue with everyone. After you spend an hour arguing with everyone on here, take a friend to an AA meeting or recovery event of your choice. Watch how much more you get out of that hour!
Remember, you can love someone else without liking them.
Wayne-
I joined this group to HELP me feel better and become well again.
There are posts with our fellow members who are truly hurting at this time. But maybe only a few to ten responses...
It makes no sense to me that there are many times more responses to this subject than the posts coming from a person in need of support.
Can we please re-focus on assisting our fellow members and move on as many of us have requested.
If not I will be taking a break from this site after being here only a month. I'm sure I won't be the only one leaving if this continues. Lets help one another. I don't need any more conflict or issues in my life! I need to look forward to reading the posts.
No one is right or wrong here. They are who they are...lets get on with life.
I asked for prayers a while back for someone who is dying from this disease and I got 6 responses! Let's get our priorites straight, huh?
Please respect SoberWorld and let's not ARGUE this point anymore...lol
There is nothing wrong with a healthy debate and I do think this topic will be addressed with more sensitivy in future ( I am an AAer and even at that I dissagreed with that first post - thought it was argumentative but got it cleared in a PM)
happy day guys
B) Difference of opinion is a gift, not something to cast away. We're not robots, we're people.
C) Yes, more responses because it's lighter. We're not evil because we respond to differences of opinion. It's healthy discussion for the most part
Everyone, you have permission to unbunch your panties. (ps, don't be offended)